Hello everyone, how are you all doing?
Today is the final day of Golden Week; how did you spend your time?
We would like to sincerely thank the many customers who visited our shop.
Now that the cleanup has settled down, I would like to write about a rare item I have been wanting to introduce for some time.
It is a "Hotei Figurine" by Sozan Kaneshige, which was kindly lent to us by a customer for display.
Sculpted works by Sozan Kaneshige are themselves extremely rare, and this was my first time seeing one.
It is an original Hotei design, distinct from the molds used by Toyo Kaneshige or Baiyo Kaneshige.
When you remove the belly, the inscription "Shichirozaemon, age 27, Spring" is carved inside, revealing that it was created when he was young.
However, the sesame glaze (goma) and the quality of the clay are bright and fresh, leading me to wonder if it might have been fired again in his later years.
With its deeply creased face and broad smile, it captures the heart not through the precision or intricate detail associated with early works born in the late Momoyama period, but rather through a unique and charming character.
This gentle expression clearly reflects Sozan Kaneshige's personality and his approach to pottery.
One can sense the same spirit in this piece as in the tea utensils and sake cups he later created at the Maruyama and Ushigami-shita kilns—specifically, the "supple, soft fullness" and "relaxed sense of rhythm."
It is currently on display at our shop, so please do come by and take a look.
Rather than the hard, tightly fired feel often found in sculptural works, it has a soft clay quality.
Though crafted with extremely high skill, it does not feel overly technical; the gentle expression is so relaxing just to look at.
The artist's real name, "Shichirozaemon," is inscribed here.